Media Moves. The Media Online’s weekly report. Independent Media launches Young Independents community leader competition. Wunderman appoints Haydn Townsend as Group CEO. New creative director for Boomtown. Media24’s Cindy Hess among Africa’s best. Joanna Oosthuizen on 2017 EMEA Sabre Awards jury. SABC signs deal with EFC. 2017 Heralds growth for award-winning KZN PR agency. PriceCheck’s Marketplace: A full-circle shopping experience. Ringier Africa & Partners Expand Activities in Publishing & E-commerce on the Continent. Respublica refreshes its brand. SABC signs deal with EFC.
This week’s BIG move: Independent Media launches Young Independents community leader competition
Independent Media is looking for 100 inspiring young leaders aged between 18 and 35-years-old who are trailblazers, influencers, disruptors, healers or innovators in their communities. These 100 young leaders stand a chance to win R250 000 towards their work to enhance their community development projects.
“We recognise that there are a lot of inspiring young people doing exceptional work in communities around the country; however, a lot needs to be done to support their work in order to help accelerate their efforts. Our aim with the Young Independents competition is to provide some support to boost their efforts and their community development endeavours, and provide the necessary support to enhance their work in communities,” says Saajida Francis, head of The Young Independents.
Independent Media are asking community members to nominate any young person between the ages of 18 and 35 whom they think is making a difference in their community. The nominee’s work can be involvement in the church, the workplace or general community, or he or she could have environmental influence etc.
To enter someone for the competition, submit the nominee’s contact details (name and telephone number or email address), as well as the nominator’s contact details, along with a motivation letter explaining why the candidate should be considered as one of the 100 inspiring leaders. Applications close on 31 January 2017. More information on the competition is available on https://tyi.co.za/young-independents-nomination-form/
Who’s moved where
Wunderman appoints Haydn Townsend as Group CEO
Wunderman has appointed announced Haydn Townsend as group CEO of South Africa, effective immediately. Townsend has been consulting with the company for six months.
Townsend, a self-proclaimed “cross-functional” marketer, brings more than 20 years of experience to the role. He will oversee the entirety of Wunderman’s South African operations, which employ over 400 people across Wunderman-owned companies including Aqua, Applogix, Base Two and Cerebra. In addition, Townsend will be responsible for expanding the agency’s regional footprint with a particular emphasis on growing clients’ businesses through the strategic use of data and digital marketing. The group’s local clients include cellular network provider MTN, Standard Bank, Coca-Cola, Shell Global, DSTV Africa and Mercedes Benz, among others.
“After only six months at Wunderman, Haydn has really stepped up to drive our momentum in South Africa,” says Mel Edwards, CEO of Wunderman EMEA. “I am thrilled he’s agreed to take on a larger role in building our success. His entrepreneurial mind and diverse background are well suited to the job and will be instrumental for us as we continue to grow our offering throughout the region.”
Media24’s Cindy Hess among Africa’s best
Media24 chief financial officer Cindy Hess has been chosen as one of Africa’s top 100 most promising economic leaders.
It is the second year running that she has made it onto this prestigious list, compiled by the independent French research organisation Institut Choiseul which specialises in international political and economic analysis.
Choiseul 100 Africa 2016: Economic Leaders for Tomorrow identifies and ranks African leaders aged 40 and younger who are expected to play a significant role in the continent’s economic development. Hess ranks 76th on the list and is one of only 34 women and seven South Africans on the list.
Hess, who hails from Cape Town, joined Media24 in November last year. Prior to this she was CFO at Pioneer Foods and financial director at Sea Harvest. She has also held senior finance positions at Woolworths and Transnet.
New creative director for Boomtown
Ross Ventress has been named creative director of Boomtown, and will lead and oversee the creative output of the agency.
Award-winning creative Ventress has worked in a number of leading international agencies and brings with him cross-industry and international experience.
“Boomtown finds itself in an exciting place, and to now be part of its success, growth and plans for 2017 beyond is incredible,” says Ventress. “Boomtown has been an agency the industry has been watching recently, and I cannot wait to elevate its creative output further and live its values.”
Andrew MacKenzie, MD of Boomtown adds, “Ross is a passionate creative and has a strong track record of producing effective work for clients. He understands the South Africa, African and global marketplace, and has a clear vision of how Boomtown can continue to live its mantra of creativity, possibility.”
Joanna Oosthuizen on 2017 EMEA Sabre Awards jury
Ogilvy Public Relations South Africa National managing director has been named as one of two South Africans to join the 2017 EMEA Sabre Awards jury.
The SABRE Awards recognise Superior Achievement in Brand Reputation and Engagement. These prestigious awards attract more than 2 000 entries from across the EMEA region each year, bringing stiff competition to all the entrants.
“Industry Awards and recognition create the opportunity for organisations to distinguish their work and contribution to their respective industries to that of their competitors. This ‘stamp of approval’ is pivotal in recognising quality communications work that truly impacts the business ambitions of brands and organisations,” said Oosthuizen.
The Sabre Awards results will be announced in May 2017.
Who’s won what
SABC inks deal with EFC
SABC Sport has announced a multi-year broadcast partnership with EFC, the leading mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation on the African continent. The conclusion of this agreement is a groundbreaking and historic moment for MMA.
“Over the years, SABC Sport has been committed to bringing top local and international sports properties to viewers across South Africa,” stated SABC Sport’s group executive, Sully Motsweni. “I am proud to announce that SABC Sport has partnered with EFC, a home-grown world-leading Mixed Martial Arts organisation.”
The new partnership will see hours of dedicated EFC programming every week on SABC 3, as well as 10 live EFC event broadcasts per year. Starting 11 February, SABC 3 will broadcast two hours of exciting EFC programming every Saturday evening from 21h00. The best bouts from the Extreme Fighting Championship will be featured along with premium programming building up to each new live EFC event. On the evening of every EFC event, SABC 3 will broadcast the full three-hour live event, featuring the five main-card bouts.
2017 Heralds growth for award-winning KZN PR agency
2017 has begun with a bang for Pietermaritzburg based public relations agency, UrbanHouse Media, who welcome not only three companies to their expanding client stable but also a new member to their team.
Following two successful years of managing public relations for The Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre, the largest and busiest conferencing centre in the southern hemisphere, UrbanHouse Media has been appointed to manage the mega-hotel’s social and digital media marketing strategy in 2017.
Further adding to their client base, UrbanHouse Media will also be working with Pietermaritzburg-based, award-winning shop fitting specialists and light steel frame company, Shospec, and also with The Hillcrest Advice Bureau and Bursary Fund (HABandBF) as part of UHM’s CSI portfolio. The HABandBF are a KZN-based NPO providing underprivileged students, wanting to attend university, with financial support.
To complement the company’s growth, UHM has welcomed accounts manager Nicola Chapple to their team. Nicola has worked in the UK as a Digital Communications Manager for nine years and is passionate about effective communication within a fast-paced media industry.
Who’s making moves
PriceCheck’s Marketplace: A full-circle shopping experience
Recognising the need for brick-and-mortar stores to list their products and sell them online, PriceCheck, Africa’s largest product discovery and comparison service, has launched a brand-new offering: PriceCheck’s Marketplace.
“Through the Marketplace, we’re simplifying the route to purchase. Consumers will stay on-platform and purchase directly on PriceCheck using our unique one-click checkout. We provide shipping guarantees and insurance to offer the consumer peace-of-mind and confidence when interacting with third-party sellers. Delivery tracking and shipping statuses are part of our user dashboard and offer a real-time view of an order’s progress,” says Kevin Tucker, founder of PriceCheck. PriceCheck allows consumers to make informed shopping decisions based on comprehensive comparisons between millions of products from hundreds of stores.
“With this new offering, we are providing a premier delivery channel that reduces the chasm in the delivery chain where shoppers can easily get bogged down with several click-throughs. Now, all orders via PriceCheck’s Marketplace can be done directly with us, posing less risk when it comes to deliveries as we handle all logistics with extreme care,” adds Tucker.
Respublica refreshes its brand
Respublicans, the residents living at Respublica’s various residences, now boast a new look and feel to their home away from home, as the company has revitalised its overall brand along with creating a related but unique brand for each residence in its portfolio.
“As we continue to expand locally and abroad, the time has come to rejuvenate our brand as a partner of choice to all our student accommodation stakeholders,” said Craig McMurray, CEO of Respublica.
The online roll out went live in January 2017 and all new signage at the residences is underway during the first quarter of 2017.
Each of Respublica’s residences now has its own unique identity, created in line with the company’s overall branding and acknowledging that each residence has its own unique characteristics and collective personality. These unique identities are set to strengthen bonds and traditions within each residence, but have been created with the refreshed Respublica branding in mind, linking the individual locations with the company, and affirming each student’s identity as a member of the extended Respublica family.
Ringier Africa and partners expand activities in publishing and e-commerce
Ringier Africa Digital Publishing’s Pulse expands to East Africa with P Live and boosts partnership schemes for content and promotions. Ringier Africa Deals Group’s DealDey and sister sites expand scope in Nigeria.
P Live in East Africa launched on Monday as an extension of the leading new media publisher Pulse and its P Live concept from West Africa, already reaching over 50 million users on a monthly basis.
With headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, P Live will be a brand new independent, nonpartisan news and entertainment publisher for the region, partnering with leading local and international publishers to bring the East African region up-to-the-minute, 24/7 live content – from breaking local and internationally acclaimed news to varied entertainment programs.
As part of its pan-African expansion, Pulse/P Live today also launches P Promos, focusing on providing merchants of all sizes, e-commerce or otherwise, even more affordable ways to advertise their goods and services to a wide-reaching audience of millions, online.
In Ghana and Kenya, Ringier Africa Digital Publishing (RADP)’s sister company, Ringier Africa Deals Group (RADG)’s discount e-commerce platforms Tisu and Rupu will merge with P Promos respectively, and will therewith move beyond early-stage e-commerce to offer merchants new ways of reaching a large customer base, under the P Promos brand.
